U.S. Government and Politics
Midterm Exam
Course Introduction
U.S. Government and Politics explores the foundations, structure, and functions of the American political system. The course examines the Constitution, federalism, the branches of government, civil liberties, and the role of political parties, interest groups, and the media. Students analyze the processes of elections and policymaking, as well as the impact of public opinion and political ideology. By studying landmark Supreme Court cases and contemporary issues, learners will develop a deeper understanding of the complexities and dynamics that shape governance and political participation in the United States.
Recommended Textbook
The Enduring Democracy 3rd Edition by David A. Yalof
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16 Chapters
1193 Verified Questions
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The More Things Changethe More They Stay the Same
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Sample Questions
Q1) In political theory, a social contract is
A) an agreement people make with one another to form a government and abide by its rules and laws, and in return, the government promises to protect the people's rights and welfare and promote their best interests.
B) a civil agreement.
C) a peace accord.
D) an alliance of racial and ethnic groups within a society with the goal of keeping social order.
E) a mediated peace.
Answer: A
Q2) How does a direct democracy work?
A) The economic elite are the decision makers.
B) All members of the public meet to discuss policy and make decisions.
C) Elected representatives made decisions on behalf of the public.
D) The public can give input, but the decisions are made by elected officials.
E) The people elect representatives who are responsible for policymaking.
Answer: B
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3
Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The treaty that ended the French and Indian War was
A) Treaty of Ghent.
B) Treaty of Versailles.
C) Treaty of Rome.
D) Treaty of Paris.
E) Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Answer: D
Q2) At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Federalists
A) strongly objected to ratification and enactment of the new constitution.
B) were opposed to a strong central government.
C) were in favor of a strong central government and for ratification of the new constitution.
D) favored states' rights and were opposed to any form of national government.
E) favored a central government only if the states were given veto powers over the central government.
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Q1) Devolution is a term that is used to describe a system of federalism in which
A) state power is significantly weakening.
B) new states are being created.
C) the central government voluntarily transfers powers to the state and local governments.
D) the judicial branch assumes a dominant role in policymaking.
E) in which the powers of the president are considerably reduced.
Answer: C
Q2) In a system of federalism, in which sovereign government does the individual hold citizenship?
A) The individual is considered only as a citizen of the national government and simply a resident of the state.
B) The state holds the individual's citizenship.
C) Some states allow dual citizenship whereas others do not.
D) The individual is a citizen of both the state and the national governments.
E) The individual must choose his/her citizenship.
Answer: D
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Q1) The right of any woman to have an abortion was first established in the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade. The Constitution says nothing about abortion, so it is not an enumerated right. Where in the Constitution did the Supreme Court base its rationale for legalized abortion? What have been some of the most recent challenges to Roe v. Wade?
Q2) In the twentieth century the Supreme Court became increasingly more willing to protect individuals against intrusive state actions. What instrument gave the Supreme Court this authority?
A) The Civil Rights Act of 1871
B) The Alien and Sedition Acts
C) The First Amendment, which guaranteed freedom of speech
D) The Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed due process of law by the states
E) The free exercise clause
Q3) The First Amendment contains both the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. Discuss how the Supreme Court has interpreted these clauses and how these decisions have affected the "wall of separation" between church and state.
Q4) Explain the concept of Holmes's "marketplace of ideas." Compare and contrast this view with the civil action of libel.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Civil Rights, Equality and Social Movements
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Q1) What was the primary purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
A) It removed any artificial barrier to voter participation, including literacy tests and poll taxes.
B) It required African Americans to prove that they are descendants of slaves before being allowed to register to vote.
C) It made all elections a function of the federal government instead of the states.
D) It ensured an African American senator from every state within 50 years.
E) It reinstated the racial restrictions on voter registration, especially in southern states.
Q2) Which term refers to equality and fair treatment within the various institutions, both public and private that serve the public at large?
A) Political equality
B) Social equality
C) Economic equality
D) Liberty
E) Social stratification
Q3) Discuss the direct impact of the 1964 Civil Rights Act on the rights of African Americans.
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Chapter 6: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) The first Congress in North America was
A) the House of Burgesses.
B) the Albany Congress.
C) the Charleston Congress.
D) the First Continental Congress.
E) the Second Continental Congress.
Q2) Our legislative branch consists of two chambers: The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This arrangement is referred to as
A) congressional redistricting.
B) congressional reapportionment.
C) the system of checks and balances.
D) pro tempore.
E) a bicameral legislature.
Q3) Explain the impeachment power given to Congress. Compare and contrast the respective roles of the House and Senate.
Q4) Explain the duties of each component of Congressional staffing: Congressional agencies, personal staff, and committee staff. Explain the role of each component in Congressional activity, especially legislative activity.
Q5) What is a filibuster? Why is it used? How does it work, and how does it end?
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Chapter 7: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Constitutional provision limiting the president to only two elected terms is
A) Article II.
B) Twenty-second Amendment.
C) Twenty-first Amendment.
D) Seventeenth Amendment.
E) Seventh Amendment.
Q2) Describe the implied powers and responsibilities of the President.
Q3) Most U.S. presidents have held one or more high-level elected offices. The two most commonly held offices are tied, with 19 presidents each having held these positions. In addition to the U.S. House of Representatives, which other elected office was held by 19 presidents?
A) U.S. senator
B) Supreme Court justice
C) Supreme Allied Commander
D) Governor
E) Secretary of state
Q4) As commander-in-chief, the role of the president in the twentieth century has evolved dramatically. Describe how presidents of the twentieth century have used this constitutional role to project their power in a global arena.
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Chapter 8: The Federal Bureaucracy
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Sample Questions
Q1) At the head of each cabinet department is a secretary. How does a secretary obtain his/her position?
A) Nominated by and answers directly to the Senate
B) Nominated by and is subordinate to the judicial branch
C) Nominated by Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the state governments
D) Appointed by the president but must be confirmed by the Senate
E) Appointed by the president at his/her discretion without oversight
Q2) The Civil Service Reform Act
A) prohibits the dismissal of an employee for political purposes.
B) was a response to the Spoils System.
C) administers the system of federal hiring.
D) was modified by the Shakman decision.
E) established a system for hiring some federal workers based on job qualifications.
Q3) Fully explain the processes for developing regulations and bureaucratic adjudication.
Q4) What is the role of the cabinet-level departments and why are they important to the president? How are the heads of these Cabinet-level departments chosen?
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Chapter 9: The Judiciary
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Sample Questions
Q1) Criminal prosecuting attorneys
A) must disclose all relevant exculpatory evidence to opposing counsel.
B) must abide by rules of fair play.
C) must respond to extensive discovery motions from the prosecution.
D) shall not bear false witness.
E) are under little or no obligation to provide any evidence to opposing counsel.
Q2) A hotly debated political topic in recent decades has involved judicial restraint versus judicial activism. Describe these two judicial ideologies. What are the differences between them? How does each ideology impact the social and political environment?
Q3) Several types of laws have influenced the creation of the American judicial system. Discuss the differences among the following: criminal law, constitutional law, administrative law, and common law.
Q4) Federal courts do NOT hear cases involving
A) land use and zoning.
B) money laundering.
C) carjacking.
D) bankruptcy.
E) Uniform Code of Military Justice.
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Chapter 10: Public Opinion
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Sample Questions
Q1) An orientation for translating values into specific opinions and a philosophical guide that people use to help translate their values and beliefs into specific political preferences is known as
A) social filtering.
B) conservatism.
C) partisanship.
D) political ideology.
E) political posturing.
Q2) Many scholars use which of the following as a general definition of public opinion?
A) The official results of an election
B) The summation of individual opinions on any particular topic or issue
C) The results of a Gallup opinion poll
D) The views of elected officials as to the direction of the nation
E) The collective political preferences of the majority of citizens
Q3) Public opinion exists at three basic levels. List and describe these levels.
Q4) What is meant by political socialization? What is meant by primacy tendency?
Describe how political socialization by family, friends and peers, schools, media, and religion impact the opinions and preferences of an individual.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) The law that requires that employees in unionized workplaces to either join the union or pay the equivalent of union dues to it after a set period of time is called a(n)
A) closed shop.
B) open shop.
C) union shop.
D) solidary benefit.
E) material benefit.
Q2) Often an individual will join and support a certain interest group to receive tangible advantages from that membership. An example is a teacher who joins the National Education Association with the expectation of salary increases. These advantages are referred to as
A) expectations.
B) long-term benefits.
C) perks.
D) material benefits.
E) intangible rewards.
Q3) What guarantees does the First Amendment provide to interest groups?
Q4) How has the Internet changed how interest groups function?
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Page 13
Chapter 12: The Media and American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Compare and contrast the different types of mass media, both print (newspapers, magazines, and books) and electronic media (television, radio, the Internet, and movies). How does each type operate to reach its audience? What are the differences, if any, in the audiences of each type?
Q2) The principal functions of the media in the political system of the United States include
A) providing objective coverage of events.
B) facilitating public debate.
C) serving as a government watchdog.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.
Q3) Ideally, in providing context and commentary on political events, the competing news outlets play a vital role in the democratic process by
A) facilitating and advocating public debate of the issues, thus increasing voter awareness.
B) calming public furor over certain events.
C) advocating for the government's favor.
D) fulfilling the government's needs.
E) choosing and advocating for one particular side of an argument.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Political Parties and Voting
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Q1) Which of the following is true of voter turnout?
A) Younger people are more likely to vote than middle-aged people.
B) Education depreciates the sense of civic duty.
C) Those in the age bracket of 25-44 years, are the most likely to vote.
D) Women are slightly more inclined to vote than men.
E) Voter turnout is affected only by political factors and not demographic.
Q2) What is meant by the term critical election? Identify and discuss at least two critical presidential elections in American history. Why were these elections designated as critical?
Q3) Passed in 1964, which Amendment outlawed poll taxes by making unconstitutional any law that made payment of a tax a voting eligibility requirement in federal elections?
A) Fifteenth Amendment
B) Nineteenth Amendment
C) Twenty-third Amendment
D) Twenty-fourth Amendment
E) Twenty sixth Amendment
Q4) How did the early leaders of the United States, such as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, view political parties? Did their views persist over a long period of time or have a significant impact?
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Chapter 14: Campaigns and Elections
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Q1) Most states require that a voter declare a party affiliation ahead of time and, at the time of voting, he/she can only vote in that party's election. This process is called a(n)
A) open primary.
B) closed primary.
C) the caucus.
D) forced selection.
E) restricted access.
Q2) A seat in a congressional district that has relatively similar numbers of Democratic and Republican voters is known as a(n)
A) open seat.
B) safe seat.
C) closed seat.
D) marginal seat.
E) midterm seat.
Q3) Through much of U.S. history, citizens of the District of Columbia were not allowed to vote in presidential elections. When and how did this change? Is the District of Columbia included in the electoral college?
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Page 16
Chapter 15: American Domestic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a tax-favored plan that provides a large incentive for mutual fund owners?
A) IRA
B) Roth IRA
C) Social Security
D) 401(k) plan
E) Keogh plan
Q2) What are guaranteed government benefits that certain citizens depend upon for subsistence?
A) Tax cuts
B) Income tax refunds
C) Entitlements
D) Food stamps
E) Corporate welfare
Q3) What is the purpose of the Federal Reserve System? Give an example of a monetary decision or policy made by the Federal Reserve. Who would benefit positively from such a decision? Who would benefit negatively?
Q4) Describe the impact of entitlements on the budgetary process.
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Page 17
Chapter 16: American Foreign Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was created by the National Security Act of 1947. Which of the following is NOT an official duty of the CIA?
A) Coordinating worldwide intelligence information affecting national security
B) Performing public relations functions for the U.S. government
C) Disseminating propaganda on behalf of the U.S. government
D) Engaging in covert activities at the direction of the president
E) Assassinating rogue dictators
Q2) President Wilson played a major role in drafting the agreement that ended World War I. What was the name of this agreement?
A) League of Nations
B) Warsaw Pact
C) NATO Accords
D) Treaty of Versailles
E) European Common Union
Q3) Analyze the operation of each of the parts of the United Nations. Discuss arguments in favor of and opposed to the proposition that the United Nations still serves an important function in global affairs.
Q4) Discuss the impact of 9/11 and how it changed American foreign policy.
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Page 18